It’s instant reaction from UTS, with the Fat Controller reporting in, live from Millmoor!

Sometimes you get one of those days, when you fight well, give an good backs to the wall defensive performance and then get let down right at the end. Well it didn’t happen today!

Paul Merson went with the team we predicted yesterday, with the one surprise of Fryatt as the lone striker in the 4 5 1, rather than Leitao. For the first 20 minutes or so, it was a matter of starting where we finished last season, with the trio of Standing and, especially Osborn and the outstanding Taylor, dominating posession and making a string of half chances. The lead even came early, with Fryatt bamboozling the Rotherham defence in the third minute and crossing for Taylor to score from close range. Taylor then had two other good chances, one from open play (Fryatt again the creator) and one from a free kick, and could have had a hat trick on another day.

The second part of the half was very different, however, as attacks started to continually break down on the flanks, especially whichever one Mark Wright was on and Rotherham came to dominate the possession. Finally, Burton managed to get the wrong side of Gerrard and crossed for Butler to score (inevitably).

The second half was mainly Rotherham pressure (although Oakes was hardly over worked - a good job after getting lengthy treatment following a collision with Butler in the first half), but the young back four, a worry for some before the game, coped admirably, well covered by Osborn and with Taylor busy and effective in front of him.

Wright, however, was having a very ineffectual game and was, eventually replaced by Leitao, although the formation stayed as a 4 5 1, rather than 4 4 2.

It proved to be inspired as, in the third minute of stoppage time and with everyone thinking the game was going to fizzle out into a draw and a welcome point, Leitao tried an ambitious cross come shot come who knows what, which the keeper helped into the back of the net.

It was smash and grab, but who cares, as we all know what happened the last time we won away at Millmoor on the first day of the season, don’t we?